3 1/2 Minutes Wins Sundance Award

3 1/2 Minutes is a documentary movie about the Jordan Davis’ murder. For a background on the film, click here to see our previous article. The documentary was presented at the Sundance Film Festival and has won the Documentary Special Jury Award for Social Impact. Jordan’s parents, Lucia McBath and Ronald Davis, spoke at the acceptance.

“I am grieved that these continuing stories are everyday matters swept away,” HBO Documentary Films president Sheila Nevins said in a statement. “By bringing this powerful film to HBO audiences, we hope to elevate the national conversation around these tragic issues.”

We would not be standing here had it not been for the visionaries that have put together this film on our behalf.

I always wanted Jordan’s life to mean something, and I’ve prayed many prayers many nights for that. But I never would have imagined that Jordan’s life as well as his death would mean so much to so many people. It would change the consciousness and prick the souls of our nation.

Thank you.

Ron Davis’ speech was powerful :

At 2:30 in the afternoon on Black Friday 2012…I don’t know where you were at that time, but you had loved ones with you, your nieces, your nephews, your sons, your daughters, your grandsons and your granddaughters,

Never did I believe that 2:30 in the afternoon when I hugged Jordan and gave him money to town center to be with his friends to go window shopping that that would be the last conversation that I would have with my son.

So, when you hug your sons and your nephews, understand they may not come home. This world we live in, they don’t tolerate children anymore. And, I’m here to stand up for these children that are not tolerated by the system; not tolerated with mass incarceration; not tolerated by people that want to use their guns in a terrible, terrible manner.

I want to thank Sundance and thank these people here for making this film. Thank you jury and selection committee. Jordan Davis is not just a film. “3 1/2 Minutes” is an idea; it’s a movement, it’s a call to action. Black lives matter. Black Lives Matter. BLACK LIVES MATTER!

Ron Davis has it nailed, and what he feels and says and went through is why I’m here and try to make positive changes and support those in his and his families shoes, Trayvon’s family, the Brown’s, the Johnson’s, the McBride’s…………..all of them.

I have a 16 year old and it makes no diff. what color we are, we’re all on this planet together. These screwballs who shoot at others and think they can then paint the actual victim as the bad guy must stop. I notice that all of the victims don’t have a criminal record and are kids.

If Jordan was white, even if he and and his friends were listening to rap, he’d still be alive. Thank God a jury say through Duhnnnn’s lies.

Everyone matters…………..white, black, Asian, tall, short, skinny, poor, rich, middle class, it doesn’t matter. What makes anyone better then another…………..it’s like saying the best color is red, because it’s my favorite and I always have my race cars painted white with red…….but I also have black on them.

Is blue better ??? Is chocolate cake to be murdered because it’s not pie?? As ridiculous as that sounds, that is what racists are in effect saying. I didn’t know Trayvon…..nor Jordan, nor Mike Brown, but I said some of this before and I’ll apply even more. Correct me if I’m wrong,

These 3 KIDS, are near my sons age. What if Trayvon was a great singer ?? and was in my sons band and they made a name for themselves ?? 4 white kids and 1 black kid ?? Well, that would be cool to me, but if he was famous before 2/26/12, would he be alive because he was in a band with white kids ??? Shit, Fogen might have asked for his autograph, we’ll never know. Maybe T would have been the kid in our neighborhood starting the pickup BB games….I can see that from what I know. I can also say, I start football games with my sons friends and they are from all walks and colors………I guarantee T, his dad, his brother and any of his friends would be running pass patterns in our front yard with us…….if they were our neighbors.

I can also say he and his family would have been here eating BBQ with us, and that’s just from what I pick up on the interviews and events they’ve spoken at. They seem like normal, well adjusted, middle class friendly people to me and I’m not afraid of them.

Now, what’s with all that racer ?? Well, I’m telling what I feel and you can look and see I’ve been saying this from 3/2012 on HP…………Why can’t we all just get along.

If I can see the reality, what drives Fogen or Duhhnnn or Wafer to just shoot people for what is to me, no reason on earth, other than hatred for another race. Despicable…….

I can see my son and I playing ball with Mike……..I’d pick him 1st !!!!! I can see my sons friend, who is on the wrestling team, and Mikes size rolling around in the basement trying to get the “win”

I can see Jordan and my son talking chic’s…….as clear as day, I can see them walking in a mall admiring the junk in the trunk. I can see them on a double date or sitting in our basement watching DVD’s and playing air hockey.

There are times when I feel that I’ve failed to protect those kids. Not that I could have been there to stop a Fogen or Wafer, or Duuhhnnn, but as a society.

I feel like no matter what petition I sign, protest I attend or crime / gun law / victim advocacy I support, nothing helps. I know that we are making progress because Duuhhhnnn was convicted despite his “I’m a pussy, er……..I was afraid of that stick, er…
……shotgun barrel I saw……er….imagined” crap. (No more pizza delivery !!)

Wafer was convicted despite his alleged fear. (How scared can you be with a shotgun in your lap behind locked doors?)

I pray every day that Kendrick’s killer is found and convicted. What a horrible way to die and at the hands of school mates in school. I bet his killer is the FBI agents son, for the record.

I posted a thing that happened to me back about Aug. / Sept last year where I was driving home and there were 3 black kids, 1 bike and one of them was down in the street. I went into the next place to turn around and see if he was hurt, as he’d been driven off his bike by some wise guy who swerved like he was going to hit him. He was banged up and i offered to help or call the police. The bottom line was the 3 of them were very pleasantly surprised this old white guy went to their aid. I told them flat out we’re all on this planet together and I would never just pass them by knowing something could be wrong.

A week of so later, one of the dad’s stopped by as he was told what my truck looked like, and thanked me for stopping to help them. It was his son who was down. He wasn’t hurt bad, but this is what makes life rewarding. His dad was sincere to the point of his voice breaking up since he must have known what the worst case could have been, and if he needed real help I’d stopped and had a cell phone, where amazingly, none of the kids did.

I forget his name, but this guy was as friendly as could be and rang a total strangers doorbell simply because he saw my truck in the driveway………250 feet from the street. I’d bet the farm if I saw him again and said, “……hey, lets get together and have some BBQ or shoot the breeze over pizza and a beer, he’d have no problem with it. I hate to think he had to have that talk with his son at one point that I read all black parents have about being so cautious out in the world so cops and Fogens don’t overreact and open fire. I just hate that in this country moms and dads are forced to talk about that. Myself. my wife and our son all have friends of all color and I love that variety makes the world go ’round. It galls me that these racists hate the mere fact that someone is not like them. Not one of us had a say in the position we born into…………I could have been born with a serious birth defect and that condition became “normal” to me.

Sorry to be ranting so long, but why can’t we just get along and enjoy each others company.

I am so glad I found this site………..all of you are The Best !!!

I always say I was born poor and naked and if I die and was a positive influence on somebody, life was worth the trip.

Your narrative about the kid’s dad coming by to thank you caused tears to well up in my eyes. What a beautiful story of, shall I say, brotherhood togetherness. Your caring heart warms this page, Racer.

Again I’m humbled……my grandfather was the biggest life influence I had when I was young and he knew his son, my dad was a racist. I can’t even repeat what I endured on that one, but I survived.

Sometimes I’m totally lost for words with this racist garbage. On The Prof’s site is a story and video of a Seattle cop, a woman no less, who accuses a 72 year old black man, who uses a golf club as a cane of swinging at her. Problem is, it’s all on her dash cam and he never even raises it. In fact, they’re 20 or more feet apart when she 1st says he swung it at her.

” I feel like no matter what petition I sign, protest I attend or crime / gun law / victim advocacy I support, nothing helps.”

Racer, I have had the same feeling at times, too. I think it all boils down to the vote. Gotta vote in people who will pay attention to the issues that are important to us.

I am feeling that Internet, petitions, and sporadic demonstrations can’t bring about the change that old fashion hard, steadfast community work always has.

It is my opinion that internet is important for uncovering news that msm ignores, sweeps under the rug, or misrepresents. Internet is also good for rallying people to an important cause and to educate.

Sorry to be ranting so long, but why can’t we just get along and enjoy each others company.

It’s no rant, and needs to be said. The United States is a nation, but there are nations within it, if you get what I mean. There are even nations within cities. At any time, the residents are limited to what they experience in their neck of the woods and those of us who have no knowledge of it do not see the problems until they have taken root.

During the 60’s, I heard the word “oppression” frequently but did not understand it until around 1999 when we moved. Amazingly, I then discovered that the school district was being sued for segregation. I felt as if I was placed in a time machine and taken back to the 1940’s. And, that was only a drop in the bucket.

Then came 2008 with the presidential campaign and the dog whistles. It was then that I saw how divided this nation really is. It was also then when I realized that it makes no difference about those corners of American cities and states where the people are not racially bigoted. As long as there is bias in the systems of power and decision-makers, from employment, to politics, law enforcement, and the justice system, this country is still ruled by those biases.

I’m looking forward to watching this documentary. Racists wanted Dunn to be acquitted just as Zimmerman was.Even though Dunn’s crimes were much worse.At least Dunn isn’t allowed to be a Menace to Society as Zimmerman continues to be.

Chuquest,
Dunn’s “supporters” appeared to believe he was not guilty based on the police’s delay to look for a shotgun. This was argued at Dunn’s first trial as if Dunn had remained on the scene and told them to look for it. The police had no reason to assume that the teens in the SUV would have a weapon, so that argument defaulted to saying that the police should have racially profiled the teens in order to defend Dunn — who had left the scene and not bothered to call the police.

Meanwhile, I wonder how many bullet proof vests Zimmerman has had to purchase or exchange to fit his ever-changing physical size?

“Meanwhile, I wonder how many bullet proof vests Zimmerman has had to purchase or exchange to fit his ever-changing physical size?”

He goes to “Omar, the Bulletproof Tent Maker” as the old saying goes about Omar.

He sure can’t stay away from the buffet, that’s for sure.

Duuhhnnn still has supporters ?? To revisit that clown, his “…..it could have been a stick……did you look for that ?” coupled with the question by the detective about Duuhhnn imagining a stick or shotgun, then having the response “……well, I guess it;s possible” clearly show how stupid he is.

He may have a computer related small company, and I’d bet Fogen may be more tech savvy that I am, but that doesn’t mean they are actually “smart”

Racer,
Watching Dunn’s interrogation, I got the distinct impression that because he claimed Jordan said he was going to kill him, that the detectives were suppose to let him walk. They were suppose to believe him without question because he said so. If only Serino had been like the detectives that questioned Dunn …..

Thanks for the link Mindyme. ScRodriguez also made me aware of it. I haven’t closely followed the reports of the Bell brothers alleged involvement in the death of Kendrick Johnson. Until and unless their parents come forth and make a public statement, those boys might very well be scrutinized for the rest of their lives.